Hair picks, especially those known as "Afro" hair picks, include a number of long thin tines or teeth which can be easily snagged and broken when carried in purse or pocket. In order to provide some measure of protection for the tines and to prevent snagging, some hair picks have been made retractable. Retractability also enhances the compactness of the hair pick. Typically a retractable structure includes a cover in which the pick assembly is slidable by means of tracks or guides, and includes an actuator of some sort and a slot in the cover for accessing the actuator. The result is a relatively complicated and expensive mechanism.